IBA President Offers $5 Million Support to Uganda

We will see more long-range lead hooks out from the heart of Africa. Uganda once ranked among the top five boxing nations of the world. The country’s long-time dictator, Idi Amin, ruled with an iron hand from 1971 to 1979. He was reportedly the Light heavyweight champion of Uganda for nine years from 1951 to 1960! However, boxers from the country now play second fiddle to those from power-houses such as Ghana and Mozambique.

The Tie Up for Future – IBA, and UBF

The Uganda Boxing Federation and the Switzerland-based International Boxing Association have signed a deal. The former will receive approximately $5 million to build a state-of-the-art training venue at Matugga, some twenty kilometers north of Kampala, Uganda’s capital.

The President of the IBA, Umar Kremlev, will be in Uganda from 30th November to 2nd December. Moses Muhangi, the President of the UBF, shared the information with the Uganda Radio Network.

Taking over the presidency of IBA in 2020, Umer Kremlev has been the President of the Boxing Federation of Russia since 2017.

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He confirmed that the upcoming boxing academy in Uganda, with its infrastructure matching international standards, would change the boxing pedagogy. He said, “It will aim to grant holistic support and boxing programs for anyone who has an interest in sports and boxing in general.”

In parallel, the UBF has inked a strategic alliance with Dover, Delaware-based boxing promoters Probellum to pull out talented boxers from Uganda and prepare them for more significant events.

When ‘The Beast’ ruled the rings

The history of boxing in Uganda went from one extreme to the other. The country produced high-caliber boxers from John Mugabi, Ayub Kalule, and Justin Juuko to Godfrey Nyakana. But somehow, over the years, it lost its way. Legend Kalule mentioned depressingly, “These days, I don’t know our position in the world rankings. “Many things went wrong and they should be fixed.”

All the positive moves come in the shadows of unfortunate experiences. In 2017, three boxers from Uganda disappeared in Germany, where they went to participate in the AIBA World Championships. The enraged National Council of Sports banned UBF for an indefinite period.

Rings for the Pearl of Africa

For Uganda, it will come as a significant relief. A country that faced a scarcity of indoor stadiums had to rely on the sole indoor stadium in Lugogo. The other alternative, the Makerere University arena, is still under construction.

The positive move should bring the glory days of Uganda back. But, all the same, the social benefits of sweet science cannot be undermined. Boxing often comes as a succor to communities riddled with crime and poverty. Yet, as Puerto Rican and Mexican experiences have shown, the sport helps keep youngsters, especially boys, away from vices.

What is your opinion? If successful, should such measures be replicated in other places so that latent boxing talents get ample opportunities?

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